Snow has returned to the watershed

This winter has had much less snow than normal, but it is common for the snowpack to grow until early April, reports the North Bay Mattawa Conservation Authority (NBMCA) who measures snow depth and water content as part of its Flood Forecasting and Warning Program.

“The combined average snow depth is 10.6 cm and water equivalence is 17.7 mm at the three snow course locations as of March 22, 2024”, said Angela Mills, NBMCA Water Resources Specialist. NBMCA is now measuring the snowpack weekly, to monitor conditions leading up to and during the spring freshet.

This is a supplementary survey; more data is required for comparison to historical conditions. The percent normal data will be calculated for the next snow survey which takes place April 2.

A Snow Survey web page is available with more snow survey program information and this season's measurements: https://nbmca.ca/watershed-management/snow-survey/